Someone was going to have to pay the price for the New York Yankees disappointing season. It was just a matter of finding the right scapegoat.
The axe has found a home. Yankees’ hitting coach Dillon Lawson has been let go due to the Yankees’ offensive issues. According to Bryan Hoch from MLB.com, the Yankees not only expect to have their new hitting coach by the time the season starts up again, but that the new coach will come from outside the organization.
New York Yankees pin blame for struggles on Dillon Lawson
The Yankees offense has certainly struggled this season. Their .709 OPS ranks 22nd in the majors, despite having hit 127 homers, the fifth highest total. The problem is that they cannot get on base (27th in the majors with a .300 OBP) and are not doing much aside from hitting homers (their .230 batting average ranks 28th). That combination has led to a team that is in the middle of the pack in runs scored despite their power.
Lawson does not deserve all the blame. The Yankees have been battered by injuries this season. Aaron Judge had been carrying the lineup once again, just as he did in 2022, and is on the Injured List. Only four active players have an OPS+ above league average, and one of those, Anthony Rizzo, has struggled over the past month. It is a flawed roster that just cannot overcome those issues.
But someone has to take the fall for the Yankees struggles. That is not going to be Brian Cashman considering his quarter century as their general manager. Aaron Boone has done a solid job with a roster riddled with holes. That axe fell on Lawson as it is easy to point at the statistics and claim he has not done his job.
The New York Yankees have fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson. He has been scapegoated although their struggles were not entirely his fault.
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